www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Orascom Telecom, the Middle Eastern mobile operator, plans to concentrate on cost cutting and investment in 2009 in new networks in Africa, Canada and North Korea, CFO Aldo Mareuse reportedly said. He said competition with bullish government-backed operators from the Gulf had pushed Orascom to be more alert and disciplined.
The operator has been largely not represented itself in the multibillion-dollar acquisition spree of regional operators in recent years, focusing instead on building up operations in Algeria, Egypt, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Mareuse said the high prices paid for licences in recent years reflect the partially sovereign nature of the Gulf’s biggest telecoms players such as Etisalat and Saudi Telecom. Following a more disciplined financial approach the operator has already cut its capital expenditure in Pakistan and Bangladesh, where drop in currencies and social instability have hit profitability. It aims to cut overall operational spending across the group by 10% in 2009.